<s>
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2005	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Japan	O
Studio	O
and	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Sony	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
takes	O
place	O
in	O
a	O
fantasy	B-Application
setting	O
and	O
follows	O
Wander	B-Application
,	O
a	O
young	O
man	O
who	O
enters	O
an	O
isolated	O
and	O
abandoned	O
region	O
of	O
the	O
realm	O
seeking	O
the	O
power	O
to	O
revive	O
a	O
girl	O
named	O
Mono	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
assumes	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
Wander	B-Application
as	O
he	O
embarks	O
on	O
a	O
mission	O
that	O
might	O
entail	O
Mono	O
's	O
resurrection	O
:	O
to	O
locate	O
and	O
destroy	O
the	O
colossi	O
,	O
sixteen	O
massive	O
beings	O
spread	O
across	O
the	O
forbidden	O
land	O
,	O
which	O
the	O
protagonist	O
traverses	O
by	O
horseback	O
and	O
on	O
foot	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
directed	O
by	O
Fumito	O
Ueda	O
and	O
developed	O
at	O
Sony	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
's	O
International	O
Production	O
Studio	O
1	O
,	O
also	O
known	O
as	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
the	O
same	O
development	O
team	O
responsible	O
for	O
the	O
acclaimed	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
title	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
to	O
which	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
considered	O
a	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Сonceived	O
as	O
an	O
online	O
multiplayer	O
game	O
titled	O
NICO	O
directly	O
after	O
Icos	O
completion	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
underwent	O
a	O
lengthy	O
production	O
cycle	O
during	O
which	O
it	O
was	O
redeveloped	O
as	O
a	O
single-player	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
sought	O
to	O
create	O
an	O
outstanding	O
interactive	O
experience	O
by	O
including	O
a	O
distinct	O
visual	O
design	O
,	O
an	O
unorthodox	O
gameplay	O
template	O
,	O
and	O
non-player	O
characters	O
with	O
sophisticated	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
such	O
as	O
the	O
colossi	O
and	O
Wander	B-Application
's	O
horse	O
,	O
Agro	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cited	O
as	O
an	O
influential	O
title	O
in	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
industry	O
and	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
video	O
games	O
ever	O
made	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
is	O
often	O
regarded	O
as	O
an	O
important	O
example	O
of	O
video	O
game	O
as	O
art	O
due	O
to	O
its	O
minimalist	O
landscape	O
designs	O
,	O
immersive	O
gameplay	O
,	O
and	O
emotional	O
rendition	O
of	O
the	O
player	O
character	O
's	O
journey	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
received	O
wide	O
critical	O
acclaim	O
by	O
the	O
media	O
and	O
was	O
met	O
with	O
strong	O
sales	O
compared	O
to	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
due	O
in	O
part	O
to	O
a	O
larger	O
marketing	O
campaign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
remastered	O
version	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
was	O
released	O
alongside	O
Ico	B-Application
as	O
The	B-Application
Ico	I-Application
&	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
Collection	I-Application
in	O
September	O
2011	O
,	O
developed	O
by	O
Bluepoint	O
Games	O
,	O
who	O
later	O
produced	O
a	O
high	O
definition	O
remake	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
in	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Described	O
by	O
several	O
commentators	O
as	O
an	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
from	O
a	O
third-person	O
perspective	O
in	O
a	O
three-dimensional	O
(	O
3D	O
)	O
graphic	O
environment	O
and	O
involves	O
combat-based	O
gameplay	O
sequences	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
platforming	O
and	O
puzzle	O
game	O
elements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Progression	O
through	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
occurs	O
in	O
cycles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
find	O
each	O
colossus	O
,	O
Wander	B-Application
may	O
raise	O
his	O
sword	O
while	O
in	O
a	O
sunlit	O
area	O
to	O
reflect	O
beams	O
of	O
light	O
,	O
which	O
will	O
converge	O
when	O
the	O
sword	O
is	O
pointed	O
in	O
the	O
right	O
direction	O
of	O
the	O
next	O
encounter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
colossus	O
has	O
areas	O
covered	O
with	O
fur	O
or	O
protruding	O
ledges	O
,	O
which	O
Wander	B-Application
may	O
use	O
to	O
grip	O
and	O
scale	O
the	O
colossus	O
while	O
it	O
thrashes	O
about	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
dislodge	O
him	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wander	B-Application
has	O
a	O
limited	O
stamina	O
gauge	O
that	O
decreases	O
as	O
he	O
hangs	O
onto	O
the	O
colossus	O
;	O
the	O
player	O
thus	O
must	O
act	O
quickly	O
when	O
they	O
scale	O
the	O
creature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Only	O
one	O
species	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
has	O
an	O
effect	O
on	O
gameplay	O
:	O
eating	O
the	O
tail	O
of	O
a	O
certain	O
kind	O
of	O
lizard	O
increases	O
Wander	B-Application
's	O
stamina	O
gauge	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Likewise	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
may	O
find	O
fruit	O
that	O
increases	O
Wander	B-Application
's	O
maximum	O
health	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wander	B-Application
's	O
horse	O
,	O
Agro	O
,	O
plays	O
a	O
large	O
role	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Agro	O
cannot	O
travel	O
beyond	O
these	O
,	O
and	O
when	O
separated	O
from	O
Wander	B-Application
by	O
such	O
obstacles	O
,	O
cannot	O
participate	O
in	O
the	O
following	O
battle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
throughout	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Wander	B-Application
's	O
equipment	O
consists	O
of	O
only	O
a	O
sword	O
and	O
a	O
bow	O
with	O
arrows	O
,	O
in	O
subsequent	O
playthroughs	O
players	O
may	O
access	O
bonus	O
weapons	O
and	O
in-game	O
features	O
after	O
finishing	O
optional	O
Time	O
Attack	O
trials	O
,	O
which	O
allow	O
the	O
battles	O
with	O
the	O
colossi	O
to	O
be	O
replayed	O
with	O
a	O
restricted	O
time	O
limit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Presented	O
through	O
a	O
minimalistic	O
narrative	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
eschews	O
disclosure	O
of	O
detailed	O
information	O
about	O
the	O
backstories	O
and	O
interrelationships	O
of	O
its	O
characters	O
to	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
takes	O
place	O
in	O
a	O
fantasy	B-Application
world	O
,	O
wherein	O
a	O
vast	O
and	O
unpopulated	O
peninsula	O
,	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Forbidden	O
Land	O
,	O
serves	O
as	O
the	O
main	O
setting	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
events	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Assisting	O
Wander	B-Application
in	O
his	O
quest	O
to	O
revive	O
her	O
is	O
his	O
loyal	O
horse	O
,	O
,	O
who	O
serves	O
as	O
his	O
sole	O
ally	O
in	O
defeating	O
the	O
colossi	O
;	O
the	O
English-language	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
refers	O
to	O
Agro	O
as	O
a	O
male	O
steed	O
,	O
although	O
director	O
Fumito	O
Ueda	O
said	O
that	O
he	O
saw	O
Wander	B-Application
's	O
horse	O
as	O
female	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wander	B-Application
also	O
receives	O
aid	O
from	O
an	O
entity	O
called	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
legends	B-Application
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
world	O
,	O
Dormin	O
has	O
the	O
power	O
to	O
revive	O
the	O
dead	O
;	O
this	O
premise	O
serves	O
as	O
the	O
driving	O
cause	O
for	O
Wander	B-Application
's	O
entrance	O
upon	O
the	O
forbidden	O
land	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
seeks	O
the	O
being	O
's	O
assistance	O
in	O
reviving	O
Mono	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dormin	O
offers	O
to	O
revive	O
her	O
in	O
exchange	O
for	O
Wander	B-Application
destroying	O
the	O
sixteen	O
colossi	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
commentators	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
plot	O
speculated	O
that	O
the	O
name	O
"	O
Dormin	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
spells	O
"	O
Nimrod	B-Application
"	O
backwards	O
,	O
serves	O
as	O
a	O
reference	O
to	O
the	O
body	O
of	O
the	O
biblical	O
King	O
Nimrod	B-Application
which	O
was	O
cut	O
up	O
and	O
scattered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lord	O
Emon	O
is	O
a	O
shaman	O
who	O
narrates	O
a	O
vision	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
introduction	O
that	O
vaguely	O
explains	O
the	O
origin	O
of	O
the	O
land	O
to	O
which	O
Wander	B-Application
has	O
come	O
and	O
establishes	O
that	O
entry	O
to	O
this	O
place	O
is	O
forbidden	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
has	O
a	O
small	O
group	O
of	O
warriors	O
at	O
his	O
command	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
pursuing	O
Wander	B-Application
to	O
prevent	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
"	O
the	O
forbidden	O
spell	O
"	O
,	O
the	O
rite	O
that	O
involves	O
the	O
destruction	O
of	O
the	O
sixteen	O
colossi	O
and	O
the	O
restoration	O
of	O
Dormin	O
's	O
power	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
game	O
begins	O
,	O
Wander	B-Application
enters	O
the	O
forbidden	O
land	O
and	O
travels	O
across	O
a	O
long	O
bridge	O
on	O
his	O
horse	O
,	O
Agro	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
they	O
reach	O
the	O
entrance	O
to	O
the	O
Shrine	O
of	O
Worship	O
,	O
Wander	B-Application
,	O
who	O
has	O
carried	O
with	O
him	O
the	O
body	O
of	O
Mono	O
,	O
brings	O
her	O
to	O
an	O
altar	O
in	O
the	O
temple	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
moment	O
later	O
,	O
several	O
humanoid	O
shadow	O
creatures	O
appear	O
and	O
approach	O
Wander	B-Application
before	O
he	O
easily	O
dismisses	O
them	O
with	O
a	O
wave	O
of	O
the	O
ancient	O
sword	O
in	O
his	O
possession	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
shadow	O
creatures	O
are	O
vanquished	O
,	O
the	O
disembodied	O
voice	O
of	O
Dormin	O
manifests	O
within	O
the	O
shrine	O
and	O
expresses	O
surprise	O
at	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
Wander	B-Application
possesses	O
the	O
weapon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wander	B-Application
explains	O
the	O
plight	O
that	O
led	O
him	O
to	O
seek	O
the	O
forbidden	O
land	O
and	O
asks	O
that	O
Dormin	O
return	O
Mono	O
's	O
soul	O
to	O
her	O
body	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dormin	O
offers	O
to	O
grant	O
Wander	B-Application
's	O
request	O
under	O
the	O
condition	O
that	O
he	O
completes	O
a	O
rite	O
designed	O
to	O
destroy	O
the	O
sixteen	O
idols	O
lining	O
the	O
temple	O
's	O
hall	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
that	O
end	O
,	O
Wander	B-Application
must	O
use	O
his	O
sword	O
to	O
slay	O
each	O
of	O
the	O
idol	O
's	O
physical	O
incarnations	O
–	O
the	O
colossi	O
,	O
whose	O
presence	O
ranges	O
across	O
the	O
vast	O
expanse	O
outside	O
the	O
temple	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
warned	O
by	O
Dormin	O
that	O
he	O
may	O
have	O
to	O
pay	O
a	O
great	O
price	O
to	O
revive	O
Mono	O
,	O
Wander	B-Application
sets	O
out	O
to	O
search	O
the	O
land	O
for	O
the	O
colossi	O
and	O
destroy	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
aspect	O
of	O
Wander	B-Application
's	O
mission	O
that	O
is	O
unknown	O
to	O
him	O
is	O
that	O
the	O
colossi	O
contain	O
portions	O
of	O
Dormin	O
's	O
own	O
essence	O
,	O
scattered	O
long	O
ago	O
to	O
render	O
the	O
entity	O
powerless	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Wander	B-Application
kills	O
each	O
colossus	O
,	O
a	O
released	O
fragment	O
of	O
Dormin	O
enters	O
his	O
body	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Over	O
time	O
,	O
the	O
signs	O
of	O
Wander	B-Application
's	O
deterioration	O
from	O
the	O
gathered	O
essence	O
start	O
to	O
appear	O
:	O
his	O
skin	O
becomes	O
paler	O
,	O
his	O
hair	O
darker	O
,	O
and	O
his	O
face	O
is	O
increasingly	O
covered	O
by	O
dark	O
veins	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
outcome	O
of	O
the	O
battle	O
with	O
the	O
twelfth	O
colossus	O
leads	O
to	O
a	O
reveal	O
of	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
warriors	O
that	O
has	O
been	O
pursuing	O
Wander	B-Application
,	O
led	O
by	O
Emon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Urged	O
to	O
hurry	O
with	O
his	O
task	O
by	O
Dormin	O
,	O
Wander	B-Application
soon	O
heads	O
off	O
to	O
defeat	O
the	O
sixteenth	O
and	O
final	O
colossus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
way	O
to	O
this	O
confrontation	O
,	O
he	O
rides	O
horseback	O
across	O
a	O
long	O
bridge	O
which	O
begins	O
to	O
collapse	O
as	O
he	O
is	O
halfway	O
across	O
,	O
but	O
Agro	O
manages	O
to	O
throw	O
Wander	B-Application
over	O
to	O
the	O
other	O
side	O
before	O
falling	O
into	O
the	O
distant	O
river	O
below	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Soon	O
after	O
,	O
Wander	B-Application
goes	O
on	O
to	O
defeat	O
the	O
final	O
colossus	O
as	O
Emon	O
's	O
company	O
arrives	O
in	O
the	O
Shrine	O
of	O
Worship	O
to	O
witness	O
the	O
last	O
temple	O
idol	O
crumble	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Wander	B-Application
appears	O
back	O
in	O
the	O
temple	O
soon	O
after	O
,	O
the	O
signs	O
of	O
his	O
corruption	O
readily	O
apparent	O
:	O
his	O
skin	O
is	O
pallid	O
,	O
his	O
eyes	O
glow	O
silver	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
pair	O
of	O
tiny	O
horns	O
have	O
sprouted	O
from	O
his	O
head	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Emon	O
recognizes	O
him	O
as	O
a	O
transgressor	O
who	O
,	O
in	O
an	O
event	O
that	O
occurred	O
before	O
Wander	B-Application
's	O
journey	O
to	O
the	O
forbidden	O
land	O
,	O
stole	O
the	O
ancient	O
sword	O
with	O
which	O
he	O
killed	O
the	O
colossi	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
a	O
newly	O
whole	O
Dormin	O
takes	O
control	O
of	O
Wander	B-Application
's	O
body	O
and	O
transforms	O
into	O
a	O
shadowy	O
giant	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
supernatural	O
vortex	O
consumes	O
Dormin	O
and	O
Wander	B-Application
,	O
which	O
seals	O
Dormin	O
within	O
the	O
temple	O
once	O
again	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
he	O
has	O
condemned	O
Wander	B-Application
for	O
his	O
actions	O
prior	O
to	O
their	O
encounter	O
,	O
Emon	O
expresses	O
hope	O
that	O
Wander	B-Application
may	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
atone	O
for	O
his	O
crimes	O
one	O
day	O
should	O
he	O
have	O
survived	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mono	O
follows	O
Agro	O
to	O
the	O
pool	O
into	O
which	O
Wander	B-Application
and	O
Dormin	O
were	O
pulled	O
by	O
Emon	O
's	O
spell	O
,	O
where	O
she	O
finds	O
a	O
male	O
infant	O
with	O
tiny	O
horns	O
on	O
his	O
head	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
is	O
the	O
second	O
project	O
of	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
staff	O
members	O
within	O
Sony	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
's	O
(	O
SCEI	O
)	O
International	O
Production	O
Studio	O
1	O
that	O
was	O
led	O
by	O
director	O
Fumito	O
Ueda	O
and	O
producer	O
Kenji	O
Kaido	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
originated	O
from	O
one	O
of	O
Ueda	O
's	O
concepts	O
that	O
he	O
developed	O
directly	O
after	O
the	O
team	O
submitted	O
their	O
debut	O
title	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
released	O
in	O
late	O
2001	O
for	O
Sony	O
's	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
video	B-Device
game	I-Device
console	I-Device
,	O
for	O
publication	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
basis	O
of	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
's	O
subsequent	O
game	O
had	O
not	O
been	O
decided	O
,	O
Ueda	O
examined	O
"	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
old	O
ideas	O
kicking	O
around	O
in	O
my	O
head	O
...	O
that	O
could	O
n't	O
be	O
realized	O
under	O
previous	O
circumstances	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ueda	O
cited	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
series	O
as	O
an	O
influence	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
grew	O
up	O
wanting	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
game	O
like	O
Zelda	O
and	O
designed	O
the	O
Colossi	O
bosses	O
like	O
"	O
inverted	O
Zelda	O
dungeons.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
felt	O
that	O
this	O
theme	O
was	O
widely	O
featured	O
in	O
contemporary	O
titles	O
such	O
as	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
III	I-Application
and	O
wanted	O
to	O
use	O
it	O
in	O
a	O
game	O
that	O
he	O
designed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ueda	O
recognized	O
the	O
finished	O
iteration	O
of	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
's	O
second	O
title	O
as	O
,	O
"	O
in	O
many	O
ways	O
,	O
a	O
game	O
for	O
boys	O
and	O
men	O
"	O
;	O
conversely	O
,	O
the	O
separately	O
produced	O
game	O
was	O
fashioned	O
to	O
appeal	O
more	O
to	O
a	O
female	O
audience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
contents	O
,	O
interface	B-Application
and	O
thematic	O
focus	O
differed	O
significantly	O
from	O
those	O
that	O
would	O
ultimately	O
manifest	O
in	O
the	O
team	O
's	O
next	O
game	O
after	O
Ico	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
untitled	O
game	O
did	O
not	O
employ	O
3D	O
graphics	O
,	O
whereas	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
applied	O
them	O
to	O
their	O
published	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
the	O
project	O
,	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
assessed	O
the	O
opportunity	O
to	O
establish	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
sequel	B-Language
to	O
their	O
first	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
suggestion	O
was	O
opposed	O
by	O
certain	O
staff	O
members	O
who	O
argued	O
that	O
the	O
story	O
and	O
gameplay	O
of	O
their	O
preceding	O
title	O
were	O
largely	O
self-contained	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
existence	O
of	O
consumer	O
demand	O
for	O
a	O
new	O
Ico	B-Application
game	O
was	O
questionable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Ueda	O
,	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
assumed	O
that	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
levels	O
for	O
a	O
single-player	O
game	O
akin	O
to	O
Ico	B-Application
necessitated	O
the	O
construction	O
of	O
elaborate	O
puzzles	O
,	O
a	O
practice	O
that	O
the	O
staff	O
wanted	O
to	O
eschew	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
lengthy	O
deliberations	O
,	O
they	O
decided	O
not	O
to	O
pursue	O
a	O
sequel	B-Language
to	O
Ico	B-Application
and	O
to	O
produce	O
a	O
standalone	O
game	O
provisionally	O
dubbed	O
NICO	O
(	O
a	O
portmanteau	O
of	O
ni	O
,	O
2	O
in	O
Japanese	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Ico	B-Application
"	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
initially	O
agreed	O
to	O
develop	O
NICO	O
as	O
an	O
online	O
multiplayer	O
game	O
that	O
,	O
unlike	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
"	O
would	O
n't	O
require	O
complex	O
level	O
design	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
develop	O
the	O
concept	O
video	O
for	O
NICO	O
,	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
formed	O
a	O
small	O
internal	O
group	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
composed	O
of	O
Ueda	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
Icos	O
designers	O
and	O
a	O
roughly	O
10-person	O
animation	O
team	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
depicted	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
three	O
masked	O
,	O
horned	O
boys	O
who	O
rode	O
horseback	O
across	O
a	O
vast	O
landscape	O
and	O
attacked	O
a	O
towering	O
being	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
the	O
second	O
boss	O
in	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
video	O
was	O
visualized	O
in	O
the	O
Ico	B-Application
game	O
engine	O
and	O
was	O
rendered	O
in	B-General_Concept
real-time	I-General_Concept
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2002	O
,	O
a	O
small	O
group	O
of	O
staff	O
at	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
started	O
to	O
build	O
a	O
prototype	O
of	O
NICO	O
for	O
testing	B-Application
purposes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ueda	O
and	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
programmers	O
spent	O
over	O
six	O
months	O
to	O
produce	O
a	O
working	O
version	O
of	O
this	O
functionality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
team	O
's	O
priorities	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
was	O
to	O
code	O
a	O
physics-based	O
simulation	B-Application
of	O
scenarios	O
where	O
characters	O
were	O
"	O
being	O
shaken	O
off	O
or	O
narrowly	O
avoided	O
being	O
stomped	O
on	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2003	O
,	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
assembled	O
a	O
demonstrational	O
build	O
of	O
NICO	O
and	O
presented	O
it	O
at	O
a	O
production	O
meeting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
That	O
year	O
,	O
the	O
NICO	O
technology	O
demo	O
was	O
shown	O
across	O
Sony	O
's	O
foreign	O
offices	O
among	O
a	O
lineup	O
of	O
prospective	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
titles	O
,	O
and	O
its	O
exposure	O
excited	O
the	O
spectators	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Their	O
circulation	O
led	O
enthusiasts	O
to	O
speculate	O
about	O
what	O
they	O
perceived	O
as	O
a	O
sequel	B-Language
to	O
Ico	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
asserted	O
that	O
NICO	O
was	O
not	O
related	O
to	O
Ico	B-Application
despite	O
their	O
stylistic	O
similarities	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
his	O
colleagues	O
did	O
not	O
identify	O
the	O
former	O
game	O
as	O
a	O
sequel	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
contemporary	O
and	O
retrospective	O
sources	O
described	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
's	O
second	O
game	O
as	O
both	O
a	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
and	O
prequel	B-Application
to	O
Ico	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
staff	O
used	O
player	O
feedback	O
to	O
advance	O
the	O
testing	B-Application
of	O
the	O
"	O
organic	O
collision	O
deformation	O
"	O
system	O
by	O
inputting	O
simple	O
objects	O
to	O
experiment	O
its	O
capabilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
had	O
conducted	O
an	O
elaborate	O
research	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
technological	B-Architecture
framework	I-Architecture
,	O
they	O
did	O
not	O
finish	O
its	O
validation	B-Application
when	O
they	O
entered	O
the	O
production	O
phase	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
evaluating	O
the	O
limited	O
number	O
of	O
personnel	O
that	O
was	O
involved	O
with	O
NICO	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
their	O
professional	O
profiles	O
,	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
concluded	O
that	O
they	O
were	O
not	O
qualified	O
to	O
deliver	O
an	O
online-only	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
discarded	O
Icos	O
development	B-Application
tools	I-Application
that	O
they	O
had	O
used	O
at	O
the	O
outset	O
of	O
the	O
project	O
and	O
moved	O
to	O
write	O
new	O
programming	O
utilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Relatedly	O
,	O
they	O
opted	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
dedicated	O
game	O
engine	O
for	O
the	O
title	O
in	O
lieu	O
of	O
that	O
from	O
Ico	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
the	O
staff	O
had	O
intended	O
to	O
reuse	O
the	O
development	O
practices	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
employed	O
in	O
Ico	B-Application
to	O
proceed	O
with	O
NICO	O
,	O
the	O
departure	O
from	O
the	O
technology	O
of	O
the	O
older	O
game	O
meant	O
that	O
its	O
successor	O
"	O
was	O
 [ built ] 	O
almost	O
from	O
the	O
ground	O
up	O
again	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Publisher	O
SCEI	O
gave	O
the	O
project	O
a	O
greater	O
amount	O
of	O
development	O
time	O
,	O
funding	O
and	O
creative	O
freedom	O
in	O
comparison	O
to	O
the	O
resources	O
of	O
the	O
Ico	B-Application
team	O
,	O
measures	O
that	O
arose	O
from	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
recognition	O
of	O
that	O
game	O
's	O
critical	O
success	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kaido	O
's	O
concern	O
during	O
production	O
was	O
to	O
guarantee	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
's	O
ability	O
to	O
meet	O
their	O
schedule	O
and	O
budget	O
commitments	O
while	O
ensuring	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
the	O
opportunity	O
"	O
to	O
create	O
everything	O
Ueda	O
was	O
aiming	O
for	O
within	O
the	O
amount	O
of	O
time	O
we	O
had	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
team	O
began	O
,	O
the	O
designers	O
issued	O
instructions	O
that	O
outlined	O
the	O
programmable	O
properties	B-Language
of	O
the	O
colossi	O
enemies	O
–	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
means	O
of	O
their	O
defeat	O
–	O
and	O
that	O
were	O
meant	O
to	O
be	O
gradually	O
implemented	O
into	O
the	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
remedy	O
this	O
defect	O
,	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
reworked	O
their	O
original	O
programming	O
solution	O
that	O
animated	O
the	O
movements	O
of	O
the	O
colossi	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
displays	O
a	O
distinct	O
style	O
of	O
lighting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
engine	O
utilizes	O
elements	O
such	O
as	O
desaturated	O
colors	O
,	O
motion	O
blur	O
and	O
partial	O
high	B-Device
dynamic	I-Device
range	I-Device
rendering	I-Device
;	O
and	O
it	O
places	O
heavy	O
emphasis	O
on	O
bloom	O
lighting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
operationalized	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
physics-oriented	O
features	O
,	O
they	O
continued	O
to	O
refine	O
them	O
with	O
reference	O
to	O
the	O
Ico-inspired	O
character	O
designs	O
from	O
the	O
NICO	O
concept	O
video	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
necessity	O
for	O
the	O
protagonist	O
to	O
freely	O
traverse	O
a	O
3D	O
space	O
prompted	O
the	O
team	O
to	O
abandon	O
the	O
presentational	O
format	O
of	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
whose	O
gameplay	O
is	O
viewed	O
from	O
a	O
fixed	O
perspective	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
introduce	O
a	O
camera	O
system	O
with	O
a	O
third-person	O
view	O
of	O
the	O
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Ueda	O
,	O
the	O
moment	O
when	O
he	O
saw	O
the	O
actual	O
effect	O
of	O
that	O
simulation	B-Application
led	O
him	O
to	O
believe	O
that	O
the	O
project	O
offered	O
an	O
exceptional	O
play	O
experience	O
when	O
compared	O
to	O
preceding	O
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Character	O
animation	O
is	O
accomplished	O
via	O
key	O
frame	O
animation	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
simulated	O
physics	O
and	O
inverse	B-General_Concept
kinematics	I-General_Concept
(	O
IK	O
)	O
–	O
a	O
method	O
derived	O
from	O
the	O
field	O
of	O
robotics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
characters	O
are	O
procedurally	B-General_Concept
animated	I-General_Concept
;	O
this	O
technique	O
is	O
sparsely	O
used	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
limited	O
computational	O
capacity	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
regard	O
to	O
the	O
colossi	O
,	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
were	O
keen	O
to	O
ensure	O
that	O
their	O
motions	O
were	O
plausible	O
,	O
and	O
strove	O
to	O
accurately	O
convey	O
the	O
massiveness	O
and	O
energy	O
level	O
of	O
the	O
creatures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
colossi	O
were	O
programmed	O
to	O
react	O
to	O
the	O
occurrence	O
of	O
specific	O
player-driven	O
events	O
within	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
sensor	O
"	O
areas	O
set	O
by	O
the	B-Application
artificial	I-Application
intelligence	I-Application
(	O
AI	B-Application
)	O
of	O
the	O
enemies	O
across	O
their	O
surrounding	O
territory	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
opposed	O
to	O
a	O
hard-coded	O
program	O
,	O
the	O
colossi	O
's	O
AI	B-Application
could	O
be	O
fine-tuned	O
for	O
each	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
scenes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
also	O
developed	O
AI-enabled	O
movement	O
algorithms	O
for	O
protagonist	O
's	O
horse	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
conceived	O
as	O
a	O
realistic	O
representation	O
of	O
its	O
real-life	O
counterparts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kaido	O
admitted	O
that	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
's	O
ambitions	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
were	O
partly	O
unimplementable	O
with	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
hardware	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
team	O
"[lost]	O
sight	O
of	O
the	O
cardinal	O
rules	O
of	O
game	O
design	O
"	O
several	O
times	O
during	O
production	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
choose	O
the	O
colossi	O
that	O
were	O
negligible	O
,	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
estimated	O
their	O
level	O
of	O
completion	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
and	O
the	O
degree	O
of	O
overlap	O
between	O
the	O
anticipated	O
method	O
of	O
defeating	O
a	O
given	O
entity	O
and	O
a	O
strategy	O
reserved	O
for	O
another	O
enemy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
omitted	O
elements	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
included	O
a	O
two-player	O
gameplay	O
mode	O
,	O
excluded	O
due	O
to	O
insufficient	O
development	O
time	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
simulation	B-Application
of	O
a	O
full	O
day	O
cycle	O
and	O
weather	O
variations	O
,	O
excised	O
because	O
of	O
problems	O
that	O
Ueda	O
attributed	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
's	O
memory	O
capacity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
time	O
passed	O
,	O
the	O
development	O
proved	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
strenuous	O
endeavor	O
for	O
the	O
staff	O
,	O
and	O
fan	O
expectations	O
for	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
's	O
second	O
game	O
placed	O
them	O
under	O
pressure	O
to	O
surpass	O
their	O
past	O
work	O
in	O
Ico	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kaido	O
commended	O
the	O
staff	O
's	O
dedication	O
in	O
retrospect	O
,	O
as	O
he	O
believed	O
that	O
their	O
output	O
allowed	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
to	O
"[stick]	O
to	O
the	O
schedule	O
in	O
the	O
end	O
"	O
,	O
despite	O
the	O
reductive	O
alterations	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
undergone	O
over	O
the	O
course	O
of	O
its	O
production	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
late	O
2004	O
,	O
following	O
two	O
years	O
of	O
development	O
during	O
which	O
NICO	O
was	O
listed	O
on	O
Sony	O
's	O
internal	O
schedules	O
for	O
forthcoming	O
products	O
under	O
that	O
respective	O
name	O
,	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
changed	O
the	O
games	O
designation	O
to	O
its	O
final	O
Japanese	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SCEI	O
's	O
European	O
branch	O
was	O
determined	O
to	O
publish	O
the	O
game	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
Ico	B-Application
2	I-Application
in	O
its	O
associated	O
regions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Sony	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
America	O
proposed	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
original	O
title	O
,	O
translated	O
as	O
Wanda	B-Application
and	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
,	O
be	O
rebranded	O
as	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
for	O
a	O
North	O
American	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
naming	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Ueda	O
intended	O
to	O
move	O
away	O
from	O
the	O
abstract	O
title	O
of	O
Ico	B-Application
to	O
a	O
simpler	O
and	O
more	O
straightforward	O
product	O
name	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
resulted	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
native	B-Language
title	O
,	O
which	O
offered	O
greater	O
public	O
appeal	O
and	O
clarity	O
than	O
that	O
of	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
and	O
was	O
striking	O
from	O
the	O
perspective	O
of	O
Japanese	O
consumers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
was	O
unveiled	O
in	O
early	O
September	O
2004	O
–	O
along	O
with	O
Genji	B-Application
:	I-Application
Dawn	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Samurai	I-Application
–	O
via	O
an	O
announcement	O
on	O
the	O
official	O
Japanese	O
PlayStation	B-Device
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
10	O
,	O
SCEI	O
held	O
an	O
official	O
press	O
conference	O
where	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
was	O
presented	O
by	O
Ueda	O
and	O
Kaido	O
to	O
Japanese	O
trade	O
journalists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
that	O
month	O
,	O
a	O
trailer	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
was	O
revealed	O
at	O
the	O
2004	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
,	O
where	O
Sony	O
alluded	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
tentative	O
release	O
date	O
in	O
the	O
next	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
an	O
internal	O
meeting	O
in	O
February	O
2005	O
,	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
decided	O
to	O
monitor	O
player	O
feedback	O
to	O
the	O
unveiling	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
in	O
an	O
effort	O
to	O
correct	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
deficiencies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
That	O
April	O
,	O
Sony	O
announced	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
American	O
title	O
,	O
and	O
by	O
the	O
next	O
month	O
,	O
Western	O
video	O
game-oriented	O
media	O
outlets	O
such	O
as	O
GameSpot	O
and	O
1Up.com	O
had	O
received	O
a	O
pre-release	O
playable	O
version	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
and	O
reported	O
their	O
early	O
impressions	O
about	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ueda	O
later	O
admitted	O
the	O
existence	O
of	O
several	O
flaws	O
in	O
the	O
design	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
;	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
he	O
had	O
asserted	O
that	O
the	O
staff	O
's	O
adherence	O
to	O
the	O
central	O
ideas	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
envisioned	O
meant	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
elements	O
eventually	O
coalesced	O
into	O
a	O
coherent	O
product	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
July	O
2005	O
,	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
entered	O
the	O
last	O
phase	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SCEI	O
demonstrated	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
at	O
the	O
2005	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
to	O
a	O
positive	O
reception	O
,	O
and	O
Jō	O
Kirian	O
of	O
ITmedia	O
reported	O
that	O
a	O
long	O
line	O
of	O
attendees	O
queued	O
up	O
near	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
exposition	O
stand	O
at	O
the	O
venue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ueda	O
told	O
Eurogamer	O
after	O
the	O
convention	O
ended	O
that	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
deemed	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
pretty	O
much	O
fixed	O
as	O
it	O
is	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
they	O
did	O
not	O
have	O
plans	O
to	O
supplement	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
new	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Ueda	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
ultimately	O
involved	O
a	O
40-person	O
team	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
three	O
and	O
a	O
half	O
years	O
of	O
development	O
,	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
completed	O
the	O
Japanese	O
and	O
North	O
American	O
versions	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
in	O
September	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
,	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
adopted	O
a	O
more	O
sophisticated	O
template	O
for	O
their	O
creative	O
process	O
than	O
Icos	O
principal	O
idea	O
of	O
"	O
design	O
by	O
subtraction	O
"	O
;	O
under	O
the	O
latter	O
approach	O
,	O
they	O
removed	O
the	O
title	O
's	O
integrated	O
elements	O
that	O
detracted	O
players	O
from	O
its	O
reality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ueda	O
felt	O
that	O
Icos	O
analogous	O
structure	O
to	O
an	O
adventure	O
game	O
resulted	O
in	O
its	O
limited	O
interactivity	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
wanted	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
to	O
be	O
more	O
player-driven	O
by	O
comparison	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Relatedly	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
was	O
made	O
exclusive	O
of	O
human	O
non-playable	O
characters	O
(	O
NPCs	O
)	O
,	O
although	O
the	O
team	O
placed	O
discoverable	O
small-sized	O
animals	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
per	O
Ueda	O
's	O
specifications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
creation	O
of	O
the	O
colossi	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
focus	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
separate	O
segments	O
,	O
required	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
to	O
provide	O
input	O
across	O
disciplines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
modeling	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
environments	O
,	O
whose	O
arrangement	O
stemmed	O
from	O
independently	O
constructed	O
battlegrounds	O
tied	O
to	O
each	O
of	O
the	O
colossi	O
,	O
followed	O
a	O
pattern	O
that	O
Kouji	O
Hasegawa	O
described	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
repeating	O
cycle	O
of	O
creating	O
,	O
testing	B-Application
and	O
tuning	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
researching	O
several	O
visual	O
arts	O
genres	O
,	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
crafted	O
a	O
distinct	O
graphical	O
style	O
that	O
utilized	O
both	O
grayish	O
and	O
light	O
color	O
tones	O
to	O
underscore	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
ambiance	O
,	O
identified	O
by	O
Ueda	O
as	O
"	O
firm-feeling	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
remarked	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
completed	O
graphics	O
–	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
its	O
gameplay	O
principles	O
–	O
were	O
produced	O
similarly	O
to	O
those	O
of	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
as	O
an	O
invocation	O
of	O
stylistic	O
parallels	O
between	O
the	O
two	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Ueda	O
,	O
Wander	B-Application
and	O
Mono	O
,	O
while	O
fitting	O
the	O
literary	O
trope	O
of	O
"	O
a	O
little	O
boy	O
and	O
a	O
little	O
girl	O
"	O
,	O
were	O
not	O
meant	O
to	O
occupy	O
archetypical	B-Language
roles	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
team	O
attempted	O
to	O
foster	O
a	O
"	O
cool	O
"	O
image	O
in	O
molding	O
Wander	B-Application
's	O
gestures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
Icos	O
plot	O
is	O
told	O
partly	O
through	O
dialogue	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
avoids	O
that	O
narrative	O
device	O
and	O
relies	O
more	O
on	O
nonverbal	O
storytelling	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
part	O
of	O
his	O
approach	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
environmental	O
design	O
,	O
Ueda	O
emphasized	O
the	O
motif	O
of	O
a	O
"	O
lonely	O
hero	O
"	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
in	O
keeping	O
with	O
the	O
atmosphere	O
of	O
Ico	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
he	O
was	O
interested	O
in	O
the	O
concept	O
of	O
companionship	O
between	O
an	O
AI-controlled	O
character	O
and	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
led	O
him	O
to	O
construct	O
a	O
partnership	O
between	O
Wander	B-Application
and	O
Agro	O
,	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
the	O
connection	O
between	O
Icos	O
titular	O
hero	O
and	O
Yorda	B-Application
,	O
an	O
NPC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Based	O
in	O
part	O
on	O
Ueda	O
's	O
own	O
experiences	O
in	O
horseriding	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
prepared	O
a	O
detailed	O
set	O
of	O
maneuvers	O
that	O
Wander	B-Application
could	O
execute	O
in	O
concert	O
with	O
Agro	O
,	O
and	O
gave	O
Agro	O
a	O
crucial	O
supportive	O
role	O
during	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kaido	O
was	O
especially	O
satisfied	O
with	O
Agro	O
's	O
implementation	O
,	O
and	O
Ueda	O
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
interplay	O
between	O
the	O
horse	O
and	O
the	O
protagonist	O
to	O
focus	O
his	O
following	O
game	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Guardian	I-Application
,	O
on	O
a	O
similar	O
relationship	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
music	O
started	O
alongside	O
that	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
's	O
goal	O
with	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
,	O
as	O
with	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
was	O
to	O
differentiate	O
it	O
from	O
conventional	O
video	O
game	O
music	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
"	O
express	O
restraint	O
with	O
regards	O
to	O
emotional	O
expression	O
as	O
much	O
as	O
possible	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Inspired	O
by	O
the	O
opening	O
theme	O
from	O
Silent	B-Application
Hill	I-Application
,	O
Ueda	O
also	O
intended	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
to	O
reflect	O
a	O
melancholic	O
ambiance	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
history	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
setting	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
narrative	O
's	O
elements	O
of	O
death	O
and	O
resurrection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
medium	O
,	O
his	O
past	O
work	O
consisted	O
of	O
the	O
soundtracks	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
flight	B-Application
simulator	I-Application
Sky	B-Application
Odyssey	I-Application
and	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
scrolling	O
shooter	O
Philosoma	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
selecting	O
the	O
composer	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Ueda	O
sought	O
to	O
deviate	O
from	O
the	O
conceptual	O
perspective	O
of	O
the	O
score	O
for	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
written	O
by	O
Michiru	O
Oshima	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
which	O
Ueda	O
saw	O
as	O
a	O
game	O
that	O
equally	O
attracted	O
male	O
and	O
female	O
audiences	O
,	O
he	O
saw	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
as	O
a	O
work	O
that	O
appealed	O
more	O
to	O
male	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Otani	O
began	O
work	O
on	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
at	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
its	O
inception	O
as	O
NICO	O
,	O
and	O
Ueda	O
characterized	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
's	O
development	O
as	O
difficult	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
protracted	O
creation	O
of	O
its	O
associated	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
staff	O
's	O
enthusiasm	O
in	O
bringing	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
completion	O
motivated	O
Otani	O
to	O
deliver	O
tracks	O
with	O
which	O
he	O
meant	O
to	O
convey	O
a	O
sense	O
of	O
wonder	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
drew	O
inspiration	O
from	O
the	O
portrayal	O
of	O
Wander	B-Application
's	O
determination	O
to	O
revive	O
Mono	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
open	O
nature	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
locations	O
and	O
their	O
lack	O
of	O
life	O
,	O
coupled	O
with	O
the	O
restrained	O
use	O
of	O
music	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
reinforces	O
its	O
atmosphere	O
of	O
solitude	O
,	O
analogous	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
Ico	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
wanted	O
to	O
bring	O
"	O
a	O
unique	O
sound	O
and	O
feel	O
"	O
to	O
each	O
of	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
confrontations	O
with	O
the	O
colossi	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
that	O
NICOs	O
technology	O
demo	O
was	O
developed	O
,	O
Team	O
Ico	B-Application
used	O
available	O
sample	O
music	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
7	O
,	O
2005	O
,	O
an	O
album	O
containing	O
music	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
only	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
titled	O
Wanda	B-Application
and	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
Original	O
Soundtrack	O
:	O
Roar	O
of	O
the	O
Earth	O
( ワンダと巨像	O
オリジナル	O
サウンドトラック大地の咆哮	O
,	O
Wanda	B-Application
to	I-Application
Kyozō	I-Application
Original	O
Soundtrack	O
:	O
Daichi	O
no	O
Hōkō	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
,	O
Ueda	O
stated	O
his	O
appreciation	O
for	O
Otani	O
's	O
work	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
a	O
July	O
15	O
,	O
2005	O
news	O
release	O
where	O
SCEI	O
confirmed	O
the	O
publication	O
date	O
for	O
the	O
Japanese	O
version	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
,	O
the	O
company	O
divulged	O
details	O
about	O
the	O
limited	O
first	O
run	O
edition	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
which	O
players	O
could	O
only	O
acquire	O
by	O
pre-ordering	O
,	O
on	O
August	O
19	O
of	O
that	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
companies	O
launched	O
a	O
promotional	O
campaign	O
:	O
consumers	O
who	O
pre-ordered	O
the	O
game	O
at	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
7-Eleven	O
'	O
s	O
retail	O
outlets	O
would	O
receive	O
stylized	O
bookmarks	O
whose	O
designs	O
incorporated	O
artwork	O
from	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
7	O
,	O
2005	O
,	O
several	O
weeks	O
before	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
demonstrated	O
at	O
the	O
2005	O
Akihabara	O
Entertainment	O
Festival	O
in	O
Tokyo	O
,	O
Dengeki	O
PlayStations	B-Device
online	O
news	O
service	O
reported	O
that	O
custom	O
copies	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
bundled	O
with	O
thematic	O
memorabilia	O
would	O
be	O
available	O
for	O
purchase	O
at	O
the	O
event	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
received	O
far	O
more	O
exposure	O
,	O
in	O
part	O
because	O
of	O
Sony	O
's	O
willingness	O
to	O
leverage	O
its	O
resources	O
for	O
a	O
massive	O
advertising	O
campaign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
was	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
October	O
27	O
,	O
2005	O
at	O
a	O
list	O
price	O
of	O
7,140	O
yen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
limited	O
edition	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
distributed	O
through	O
pre-ordering	O
contained	O
a	O
different	O
packaging	O
from	O
the	O
standard	O
edition	O
,	O
promotional	O
videos	O
that	O
had	O
been	O
screened	O
at	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
initial	O
September	O
2004	O
unveiling	O
,	O
E3	O
2005	O
and	O
the	O
2005	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
,	O
and	O
production	O
footage	O
of	O
NICO	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
its	O
domestic	O
launch	O
,	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
had	O
been	O
released	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
on	O
October	O
18	O
,	O
2005	O
,	O
accompanied	O
by	O
a	O
nationwide	O
advertising	O
campaign	O
that	O
ran	O
across	O
multiple	O
mediums	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
like	O
the	O
PAL	O
release	O
for	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
came	O
in	O
cardboard	O
packaging	O
displaying	O
various	O
pieces	O
of	O
artwork	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
contained	O
four	O
art	O
cards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
came	O
with	O
a	O
"	O
making	O
of	O
"	O
documentary	O
,	O
a	O
trailer	O
for	O
Ico	B-Application
and	O
a	O
gallery	O
of	O
concept	O
art	O
,	O
accessible	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
main	O
menu	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
Computer	O
Entertainment	O
also	O
re-released	O
Ico	B-Application
in	O
PAL	O
territories	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
Shadow	O
of	O
the	O
Colossuss	O
release	O
,	O
both	O
to	O
promote	O
the	O
game	O
through	O
Icos	O
reputation	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
allow	O
players	O
who	O
did	O
not	O
buy	O
Ico	B-Application
during	O
its	O
original	O
limited	O
release	O
to	O
"	O
complete	O
their	O
collections	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
figures	O
compare	O
favorably	O
with	O
Ico	B-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
well	O
received	O
by	O
critics	O
but	O
failed	O
to	O
sell	O
a	O
significant	O
number	O
of	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
placed	O
on	O
Sony	O
's	O
list	O
of	O
Greatest	B-Device
Hits	I-Device
titles	O
on	O
August	O
6	O
,	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
received	O
critical	O
acclaim	O
,	O
with	O
an	O
average	O
critic	O
score	O
of	O
91%	O
at	O
GameRankings	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
the	O
11th-highest	O
rated	O
game	O
of	O
2005	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpy	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
possibly	O
the	O
most	O
innovative	O
and	O
visually	O
arresting	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
for	O
the	O
PS2	B-Device
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
are	O
often	O
mixed	O
about	O
Agro	O
's	O
AI	B-Application
and	O
controls	O
;	O
Edge	O
commented	O
that	O
the	O
controls	O
were	O
"	O
clumsy	O
,	O
crude	O
,	O
and	O
unpredictable	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
has	O
received	O
several	O
awards	O
,	O
including	O
recognition	O
for	O
"	O
Best	O
Character	O
Design	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Best	O
Game	O
Design	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Best	O
Visual	O
Arts	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
three	O
"	O
Innovation	O
Awards	O
"	O
at	O
the	O
2006	O
Game	O
Developers	O
Choice	O
Awards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
nominated	O
for	O
"	O
Best	O
Original	O
Music	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Best	O
Artistic	O
Graphics	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Best	O
PS2	B-Device
Game	O
"	O
,	O
yet	O
also	O
"	O
Most	O
Aggravating	O
Frame	O
Rate	O
"	O
in	O
GameSpots	O
awards	O
for	O
2005	O
,	O
while	O
it	O
won	O
"	O
Best	O
Adventure	O
Game	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Best	O
Artistic	O
Design	O
"	O
in	O
IGN	O
's	O
Best	O
of	O
2005	O
awards	O
,	O
who	O
cited	O
Agro	O
as	O
the	O
best	O
sidekick	O
in	O
the	O
history	B-Device
of	I-Device
video	I-Device
games	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
years	O
after	O
its	O
release	O
IGN	O
listed	O
Shadow	O
as	O
the	O
fourth	O
greatest	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
readers	O
of	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Official	O
Magazine	O
voted	O
it	O
the	O
8th	O
greatest	O
PlayStation	B-Device
title	O
ever	O
released	O
in	O
the	O
magazine	O
's	O
50th	O
issue	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
placed	O
43rd	O
in	O
a	O
later	O
poll	O
presented	O
in	O
the	O
journal	O
's	O
100th	O
issue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
named	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
the	O
best	O
game	O
of	O
2005	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
second	O
best	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
decade	O
,	O
behind	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2012	O
,	O
Complex	O
magazine	O
named	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
the	O
second-best	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
,	O
behind	O
God	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2022	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
placed	O
third	O
on	O
IGN	O
's	O
"	O
Best	O
Ps2	B-Device
Games	O
Of	O
All	O
Time	O
"	O
list	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
has	O
been	O
cited	O
as	O
an	O
influence	O
on	O
various	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
including	O
God	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
II	I-Application
(	O
2007	O
)	O
,	O
God	B-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
III	I-Application
(	O
2010	O
)	O
,	O
Titan	B-Application
Souls	I-Application
(	O
2015	O
)	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
:	I-Application
Breath	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Wild	I-Application
(	O
2017	O
)	O
,	O
Death	B-Application
's	I-Application
Gambit	I-Application
(	O
2018	O
)	O
,	O
Praey	B-Application
for	I-Application
the	I-Application
Gods	I-Application
(	O
2019	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Elden	B-Application
Ring	I-Application
(	O
2022	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Film	O
director	O
Guillermo	O
del	O
Toro	O
considers	O
both	O
Ico	B-Application
and	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
as	O
"	O
masterpieces	O
"	O
and	O
part	O
of	O
his	O
directorial	O
influence	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
is	O
also	O
cited	O
numerous	O
times	O
in	O
debates	O
regarding	O
the	O
art	O
quality	O
and	O
emotional	O
perspectives	O
of	O
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
plays	O
a	O
significant	O
role	O
in	O
the	O
2007	O
Mike	O
Binder	O
film	O
Reign	O
Over	O
Me	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
ways	O
Adam	O
Sandler	O
's	O
character	O
copes	O
with	O
his	O
primary	O
struggle	O
–	O
with	O
aspects	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
mirroring	O
the	O
tragedy	O
that	O
befell	O
Sandler	O
's	O
character	O
;	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
falling	O
giants	O
mirroring	O
the	O
crashing	O
towers	O
of	O
the	O
September	O
11	O
attacks	O
in	O
which	O
his	O
wife	O
and	O
children	O
died	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
lead	O
character	O
trying	O
to	O
resurrect	O
his	O
deceased	O
love	O
are	O
two	O
of	O
the	O
main	O
themes	O
which	O
strike	O
a	O
similarity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
remastered	O
version	O
of	O
Ico	B-Application
and	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
at	O
Tokyo	O
Game	O
Show	O
2010	O
and	O
released	O
in	O
September	O
2011	O
under	O
the	O
title	O
The	B-Application
Ico	I-Application
&	I-Application
Shadow	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
Collection	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developed	O
by	O
Bluepoint	O
Games	O
,	O
both	O
were	O
improved	O
graphically	O
to	O
take	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
's	O
hardware	O
and	O
HDTVs	B-Device
,	O
with	O
numerous	O
other	O
improvements	O
implemented	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
updated	O
re-release	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
features	O
high-definition	O
(	O
HD	O
)	O
graphics	O
,	O
content	O
previously	O
missing	O
from	O
the	O
North	O
American	O
release	O
,	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	O
Trophies	O
,	O
and	O
3D	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
announced	O
a	O
remake	O
of	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
during	O
their	O
Electronic	O
Entertainment	O
Expo	O
2017	O
press	O
conference	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
remake	O
is	O
led	O
by	O
Bluepoint	O
,	O
who	O
developed	O
the	O
earlier	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
remaster	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2009	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
reported	O
that	O
Sony	O
Pictures	O
would	O
adapt	O
Shadow	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Colossus	I-Application
into	O
a	O
film	O
.	O
</s>
